36-52 crank 11-28 cassette

Running Ultegra 6700 50-34
Running Ultegra 6700 50-34 can I just whip both old chainrings off and replace with the 52-36 or is the BCD of the mid compact the same as 53-39 and not compatible??

36-28 may be enough to get up
36-28 may be enough to get up Huez or Galibier, but it obviously depends on how young and fit you are. I’m 56 years old and have a 30t on the back for my usual rides in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire peaks. I got up both Huez And Galibier climbs on that gearing during six rides in six days in the Alps. But there were times i would have liked a get-out spinning gear when my age caught up with me. This year we are off to the steeper Dolomites and the Stelvio. This time Im going armed with a 34 on the back. Its easy enough to use a chainwhip and put your normal cassette and chain back on when you get home. But all this is for old weary legs like mine. Please ignore if you’re a young whippersnapper!

Scrufftie wrote:I started

Scrufftie wrote:

I started with a compact and swapped to a 52-36. I think you’d be able to run a 32 rear cog without changing the rear mech.

That would be a 37 tooth difference, I think most short cage rd have a 32t capacity or thereabouts so probably not.

You can get 32 on the Canyon
You can get 32 on the Canyon Ultimate CF 9 SL. I think it is the only canyon bike with this gear. Odd really, as they dont even offer it on the endurance models. 52/36 with 11-32 on a 11 speed is a reasonable substitute for a triple, giving a good spread of gears. The key isnt just what the lowest gear gives, it is also the pattern of ratios through the cassette. It is worth thinking what ratios you regularly use on your current setup, and work out how these would translate into your new setup. For example i often use 39/16, on a compact this would be either 34/14 or 50/20. Lots of manufacturers are now giving 11-32 in 2015, this makes more sense with 11 speeds to play with, and starts to make triples seem less necessary.

Going from a 34-32 to 36-28
Going from a 34-32 to 36-28 is likely to change in the way you cycle hills. I’m not sure all of the other comments have spotted that you will be losing on both cogs. With 36-28 it will basically be like your current 34 with the largest cog on the back being a 26 or 27 (26.4 to be precise). Can you climb comfortably with that?
I do a fair bit of weekend mountain climbing (just club, no competitions) here in Japan and I have compact on the front with a 26 largest on the back so it is quite possible – but my cadence is in the 66-78 range (I’m guessing you currently like to spin up a hill at 80?).

I’d happily change to a mid compact (36) on the front with a 28 on the back – I find I swap too often between the front cogs on a compact when things flatten out. So I’d say keep the 52-36 crank and if you want to spin up the hills get a 32 cassette with the Ultegra GS long cage 6800 RD (you can always swap back in the 28 cassette for winter riding!). You’ll still be losing a bit to your current set-up but 36-32 isn’t as signifigant as a 28

Shamblesuk wrote:I went from

Shamblesuk wrote:

I went from a perennial 50/34 user to 52/36 when I bought my R3 this year, and was worried how I would manage on Toys Hill etc, not being a whippet by any stretch of the imagination.

I wouldn’t conceive going back to a 50/34 now. Paired with 11-28, for me it’s the perfect ratio. I no longer spin out going down Ide Hill as I used to.

Horses for courses, of course.

Like Shamblesuk, I have the 11/28 and 52/36 setup on my 2015 Genesis Equilibrium 20. It came as standard and I’m very happy with it for the same reasons.

bung the sram chainset on the
bung the sram chainset on the ultegra bike … it’ll work (look pants mind you !!)